Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

The Battle of the Somme 1st July - 18th November 1916 is inevitably characterised by the appalling casualties (60,000) on the first day, July 1st 1916. Having failed to break through the German lines in force, and also failed to maximise opportunities where success was achieved, the battle became a series of attritional assaults on well defended defence in depth. The battle continued officially until 18th November 1916 costing almost 500,000 British casualties. German casualties were about the same, and French about 200,000. The Somme could not be counted a success in terms of ground gained or the cost, but it had a strategic impact as it marked the start of the decline of the German Army. Never again would it be as effective whilst the British Army, learning from its experience eventually grew stronger to become a war winning army. The German High Command recognised that it could never again fight another Somme, a view that advanced the decision to invoke unrestricted submarine warfare in an attempt to starve Britain of food and material, and in doing so accelerated the United States declaration of war thus guaranteeing the eventual outcome. 287 Brethren were killed on the Somme in 1916.

Detail :

http://www.laugharnewarmemorial.co.uk/page28.htm Ernest Frank Davies, Second Lieutenant, Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. Ernest was the Third son of Mr. J. Davies, of Glen View, Clytha Park, Newport. Educated at Llandovery from 1901 to 1905, Ernest was Commissioned into the D.C.L.I. on the 21st August 1915, and posted to the 9th (Reserve) Battalion in the U.K. In July, 1916 Ernest was posted to his Regiment's 7th Battalion in Flanders, which had been in action in the Ypres Salient and had suffered many Casualties. The Battalion was attached to the 61st Brigade, 20th (Light) Division. On the 21st August 1916, Ernest's Battalion moved from Belgium to the Somme, taking up a position around Guillemont. On the 24th August 1916, a party of 30 Officers visited the front line area, attracting the unwelcomed attention of the German artillery, which bombarded the Trenches with heavy shell-fire, killing Ernest and another officer of his Battalion. Ernest was 28 years old, and is buried at Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Montauban.

Masonic :

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley